As was being speculated, at today’s event in New Delhi, India, Nokia launched its brand new Asha which has brought forth a new software platform for phones from this series at a price of $99. This device should be making its way into the said country in June, with a converted retail value of somewhere around Rs. 5,400.
Set to be made available in a total of six different colors, the Asha 501 comes equipped with a scratch-resistant glass display, bearing a 3-inch capacitive touchscreen and a ‘Back’ button. It will be dished out in single as well as dual SIM variants, and will feature support for WiFi and Bluetooth. The compact phone measures in at just 99.2mm x 58mm x 12.1mm, while its weight has been set at 98 grams. A 3.2 MP camera at its rear is its only imaging option.
Although only 128MB worth of flash memory is available, the company will be bundling all handsets with a 4GB memory card. The device’s talktime with its 1200mAh battery stands at around 17 hours for both models, whereas its standby time varies from 48 days to 26 days for single and dual SIM versions, respectively.
The new software platform that this handset has introduced is highlighted by its two main screens, dubbed Home and Fastlane. While the former features a usual icon-based interface, the latter encourages ‘intelligent multitasking’ by tracking users’ recent activities and bringing them together in a single hub. The new operating system will now be present in all the devices from this series.
A number of popular apps are currently being ported to this platform by developers from all over the world. Another interesting aspect about the fresh software is its browser. This updated version of the company’s Xpress browser makes use of cloud-compression technology to reduce data by up to 90 per cent.
What’s strange however is that the Finnish brand has chosen to exclude 3G from its available connectivity options. So, 2G data and Wi-Fi will be the only two choices for its potential buyers. The Nokia Asha 501 will be landing in stores this June, tagged at a retail value of somewhere around Rs. 5,400.
